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Common Council

Week of December 8th

posted 

Dear District 16 Residents,

I hope that you are staying warm and safe in this snowy weather. This is always such a busy time of year – full of community events, celebrations, and opportunities to surround ourselves with friends and family. I hope that you enjoy the holiday festivities while also finding moments for rest and relaxation as the year ends.

We are staying busy at the city! I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Madison Metro’s new general Manager Jamie Acton to talk about bus service in District 16 and improvements needed for the L line. Additionally, we discussed the need for increased service on the east side more generally as we continue to experience growth. I look forward to continuing to work with Metro to explore options to improve bus and paratransit services in Southeast Madison.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Christof Spieler, Madison’s new Director of Transportation, to discuss how we can handle growth responsibly, continue to increase access to public transportation, and make our roads safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians in the Southeast Area Plan (SEAP).

SEAP Event

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to our Shaping the Future of the Southeast event last month. There was standing room only! I was thrilled to hear so much valuable feedback and productive conversations about priorities for our neighborhoods. If you missed the meeting but want to learn more about the Southeast Area Plan, you can watch one of the virtual meetings here. And if you would like to provide feedback, you can do so using our interactive story map.

As winter progresses, I look forward to seeing you at events across the city, whether it’s the Madison Holiday Market, an annual neighborhood holiday party, or at the new Door Creek Park shelter which will be opening soon for winter recreation activities (more updates to come!)

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m eager to hear from you!

-Sean

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Madison’s Economic Development Plan:

The City of Madison Economic Development Division in partnership with EQT By Design and 4th Economy will be holding a public workshop to engage community members in shaping the city's economic development plan.

This will be a virtual event held on Thursday, December 11th from 5:00-7:00pm via Zoom.

After months of collaboration with community members, city staff, and advisors, we're excited to share draft strategies and gather insights that will directly inform our economic development priorities. These ideas represent a significant shift in approach, centering community needs and perspectives in building an inclusive and sustainable economic vision for Madison's future.

The interactive workshop will provide attendees with:

  • Updates on the economic development plan draft strategies
  • Input on priorities for Madison's economic future
  • Engagement with city officials and planning consultants

The event is free and open to all Madison residents. Participants are encouraged to bring friends and family members who want to contribute to Madison's economic vision. You can learn more about the workshop and RSVP here.

Winter Weather Announcements:

As snow and frigid temperatures continue, now is a good time to remind yourself of the best practices for making sure your home and business are ready for winter. You can review helpful safety tips here. Additionally, for those who have fire hydrants on your property, please be sure to clear the snow around them. Firefighters can lose valuable time trying to locate hydrants when they first arrive at a fire.

The City has a helpful page for snow and winter-related questions. If you have concerns about snowplowing, damaged mailboxes, blocked bus stops, or other problems, you can report them on this site.

If you have questions about the winter parking rules that are in effect from November 15th to March 15th,please review the information here.

And finally, if you have questions about why or how the city determines which streets are prioritized for plowing, I would encourage you to check out this resources. I do want to flag that much of District 16 has county roads running through it. Portions of these roads are plowed by the city, while others are managed by the county.

Office Hours:

Office Hours for Dec. 15th

The turnout at our District 16 office hours has been fantastic. I love to see so many folks stopping by to share their concerns, ask questions, or even just to chat! I will be having one final set of office hours for 2025 on December 15th, but I look forward be continuing them in 2026 with new dates coming after the holidays!

December 15th – 3:30-5:30pm at the Ed Locke Public Library in McFarland

If you have any documents or items that you would like me to review beforehand, please send them to district16@cityofmadison.com. I hope to see you there!

 

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

  • Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items of interest include:
    • Item #1 – 90971 - Awarding the 19th Annual Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award to Eve Galanter (I am a sponsor)
    • Item #11 – 90552 - Amending Madison General Ordinances related to Housing and Auto-Oriented Uses in the Transit Oriented Development Overlay District to prohibit the creation of NEW car washes and car dealerships/auto sales, as well as allow for a 4-home structure to be built within all residential areas in the Transit Overlay District. (I am a sponsor)
    • Item #16 – 90557 – Allowing for the creation of Cottage Courts in Madison General Ordinances.
    • Item #42 – 90817 Allowing the Board of Public Works to receive bids for the improvement of Yahara Hills Golf Course in District 16.
    • Item #43 – Allowing the Board of Public Works to receive bids for the Yahara Hills Golf Course well transfer pipe.
    • Item #58 – 90965 – Awarding $13,963,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund for developments, which will support 425 units of new rental housing, of which 263 will be affordable. (I am a sponsor)
    • Item #79 – 90967 – Allowing for the Year End Appropriation to move funds between agencies on actualized expenditures.
  • For Introduction Only:
    • Item #94 – 90962 -Amending the school crossing protection criteria and allowing the transportation commission to make updates (I am a sponsor)
    • Item #96 – 91135 - BY TITLE ONLY: Temporary moratorium on the consideration and/or issuance of zoning certificates for data centers and telecommunications centers pending enactment of zoning ordinance to address these uses and protect the public health, safety and welfare of City of Madison residents. (I am a sponsor)

    • Item 100 – 91102 - Requiring LEED Gold Certification for New City Building Projects and LEED Silver Certification for Renovations (I am a sponsor)

       

  • Board of Park Commissioners: The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 10, at 6:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include updates on the Southeast and the Southwest Area Plans.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Announcements and News Releases

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

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District 16 - Alder O'Brien

Portrait of Alder Sean O'Brien

Alder Sean O'Brien

District 16
Contact Alder O'Brien